Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

(wind blowing)

(soft music)

- Have a drink, why don't you?

Why don't you have a drink ?

Have a drink, hmm?

Why don't you?

Thank you.

(laughing)

You have a drink?

Why don't you fix the TV?

Why don't you fix the TV?

(soft music)

(dramatic music)

- Daddy.

(dramatic music)

(sirens)

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

(tires screeching)

(dramatic music)

- John!

John! John!

John, get up dammit, John, what are you doing?

Come on, come on, up.

- Hey.

- Come on dammit, come on.

- Okay, okay.

- What are you doing?

What is this?

- I'm okay.

- You're not okay, come on I'm putting you in the shower.

Come on, come on I don't want to go.

- John.

- Stewart's Fine Department Stores.

- Thank you Linda, we're looking at heavy traffic

on the eastbound 101, coming out of Woodland Hills.

- I thought we were past all this John?

- I thought so too.

- Well I don't think I can handle it again.

- I'm sorry.

- Ah, save it, you know?

You're a mess.

You're fat, and you're a drunk,

and you're a walking heart attack.

- Okay then --

- I'm out of here.

Oh, I forgot to tell ya, I reserved a spot for you.

- What?

- A slab, I have this particular one in mind

for when they roll you in.

It's old, it's worn in, so I think it'd be comfortable.

I'll put your name on it today, that's what I'm gonna do.

- Will you stop it?

- No, you stop it, okay?

- I love you.

You coming back?

- My stuff's here.

- Well then you have to come back.

- Fuller come in, good to see you.

How have you been?

- Good.

- Good, good.

Got an easy one for ya.

Couple of guys got in a car wreck outside of Vegas,

victim's brother is holding a key man policy

worth two million dollars.

- What caused the accident?

- They just went off the road.

- Was it brakes, was it drinking?

- No, everything was pretty charred, the driver was clean.

- Anybody see the accident?

- No, cops found them in a ravine.

- So,

you don't suspect anything?

- No, no, nothing like that, just

dot the I's, cross the T's, you know the routine.

- Yeah.

- This ain't the LAPD, John.

(chuckles)

- No?

- You okay?

- I'm good.

- Good.

This guy Wiener, his brother is one of the survivors,

Melvin, he's a little off.

But he's the primary beneficiary,

you can certainly talk to him.

- John Fuller, National Life Insurance.

Very sorry about the loss of your brother Mr. Wiener.

- The insurance company tells you to say that, right?

You don't have to say it if you don't mean it.

- Well I mean it, I assure you.

- You want some breakfast?

Have a seat.

- No, no thanks.

May I?

- How long is this gonna take?

I have to be at work at 10:00.

- Where's work?

- West Hollywood Drugs.

- Jeez, I thought you'd be a painter or something.

- It's just a hobby.

Something I enjoy doing.

- So, you're a pharmacist?

- Yeah, that's right.

- Okay, I'm John Fuller,

I'm with the California National Life Insurance.

I'm here with Mel Wiener, policy 5374143.

Wiener, Minnow.

You gonna be okay if I ask you

a bunch of questions about this?

- No problem.

- So your brother Ricky he was a producer, or something?

- Record producer, yeah.

- And did you know Leonard Minnow as well?

- Lenny?

Yeah they were partners together, Lenny was the numbers man.

- You didn't like Lenny?

- He was a smooth talking weasel.

- What's all this stuff?

- That's stuff from Ricky's office.

- You mind if I look through there?

- Please, by all means.

- What are these?

- Videos, music videos.

It's what he liked to do best,

you know, they're pretty good.

Just take a look at them.

- Okay.

- Can I ask you a question?

- Sure.

- He's just a number to you, isn't he?

- I never met the man.

- That's his life's work.

That's all there's left of Ricky Wiener.

- Well why don't you tell me about him?

(dramatic music)

- What can I tell you?

He was my brother,

he wanted to get into the music business so bad.

He became a producer because it

made him feel real important.

He walked around like a big deal.

(dramatic music)

A real big deal, if you know what I mean.

- Yeah, please hold.

Morning Ricky.

- Hello, lo, lo, Lola.

- And he went to the same studio everyday,

the one he eventually bought, Sound Three.

(music)

His best friend was this

recording engineer name Shaughnessy.

♪ You liked top 40 radio

♪ And I had my Joni Mitchell

♪ And we were helpless

- Ricky thank God you're here.

- Yeah, yeah, I've got a session with you.

♪ More than I could ever give

♪ You wanted to feel my cares

♪ From my heart

♪ But I only loved you

♪ 'Cause you're gorgeous

♪ Gorgeous

♪ Gorgeous

- Yes!

- Ha, home freaking run!

- Lightning strikes, and his name is Ricky Wiener.

- You really talk like that huh?

- That's what he tells me.

Told me.

You okay?

You want some flakes, some fruit?

I got some chips that won't give you cramps.

- Oh no, no thanks.

- Well anyway, from that session he went

to Jackie James' office.

- Jackie James.

- Jackie ran the studio at the time.

And that's where Ricky met Lenny.

- Lenny, the Lenny you don't like Lenny.

(laughs)

- Bingo.

- Yeah, hmm.

(upbeat music)

- Come on in, Ricky, good to see ya.

I'll call you back in a sec.

So, boy genius, did you bring me anymore business?

- Yeah I got one session today, and that's one too many.

You're too expensive.

Look I love working here, Shaughnessy's my man,

but if we can't deal, I go.

- You're my fourth largest customer, I want you happy.

This is Lenny Minnow, Ricky Wiener, Ricky, Lenny.

- He says I should take care of you.

- What's that supposed to mean?

- Lenny knows his way around, banking, finances,

leasing deals, Lenny Minnow knows them all.

He did computers with the phone company too.

You're doing all the money from now on.

Deals, collections, negotiating with you.

- Will I do any better?

(scoffs)

- Look I got a session, Shaughnessy's probably,

- Get away.

- Now Jackie, I want to try.

- I won't let him.

(scoffs)

What terms you on with us now, Ricky?

- COD, like everyone else.

- Will 30 day terms, and lower prices make you happy?

- Can you do that?

- With a wave of my hand.

(chuckles)

Come with me.

- This is your office?

(laughs)

This is hell Lenny.

- Now,

I like Jackie, but you know the business is getting

a little bit too big for him.

I've been all over his books, I mean if the guy

bought some equipment, made some moves,

he'd have something worth millions.

But, he wouldn't know how to run it.

One day he is gonna wind up selling to you.

- To me?

- So Lenny was doing his tap dance,

(laughs)

and Ricky was sucking it right in.

- Just like little kids, like they wanted

to be big shots, right?

- Yeah.

That was my brother, wanted to be a big shot.

(laughs)

I guess, never really grew up.

- I wonder, if that's them, or if that's you.

- Mr. Fuller that's really them.

And my God, they had this thing about it.

They'd go to bars all the time, they'd go to bars

three or four times a week to have meetings.

They'd want me to come along with them,

I never did, yeah some meetings.

(bar chatter)

(soft music)

And then he'd tell me these stories about the women

he'd meet at these parties, you know?

And Ricky was a sucker for a beautiful woman.

And in the music business you get

to meet a lot of them apparently.

He loved the whole deal, he loved the atmosphere.

He loved the smoke, he loved the schmoozing,

and he loved those beautiful women, let's face it.

(laughs)

(upbeat music)

Maybe I am I don't know.

That's not my style.

But I keep hearing stories all the time.

Lenny the hustler, oh, you got to hear about this!

Lenny the hustler!

- I'm totally jiving about our future, man.

- Yeah what do you mean?

- Ricky,

I have been busting my ass, folding newspapers,

washing cars, babysitting.

Stereo hookups, computer odd jobs.

Every scam and con I can think of.

Listen to me.

But all I ever really wanted to do,

was to make my first million.

Retire on the interest by the time I'm 35, spend the rest

of my life sitting on a beach chair in the Bahamas.

Looking out at the ocean, and checking my stock quotes.

That's my idea of heaven on earth.

Can you keep a secret?

- He asks him.

Lenny had a secret, you know what Lenny's secret was?

Lenny's secret was that he wanted Ricky's

money to buy the recording studio.

- So that's what you think?

- That's what I know.

- I got everybody but the last share,

I need one more guy with 50 grand, and I want

that guy to be you Ricky.

If we buy Jackie out, within five years

everything will be bought and paid for, and ours.

With my ideas and your talent,

it'd be a perpetual money machine.

- It sounds too good to be true.

- Ricky the only way that I can make my millions

is for us to take him out.

- Take him out?

- He meant buy him out.

- With your money, with your $50,000?

- I've always been there for him, that's our family history.

- To hell with family history.

- So you gonna go to your brother, partner?

- Yeah, I'll go to Mel.

What about Shaughnessy?

- If he can afford it he can come along for the ride.

- Alright, I think we can do this.

- Great!

I got to go, don't forget to call Mel!

(upbeat jazz music)

- So i gave him his share, and they bought the studio.

(laughs)

You never saw such happy people.

(upbeat jazz music)

Ricky, Lenny, Shaughnessy,

(laughs)

the gruesome threesome, nothing could stop these guys.

They had their deal, and they were working it.

Things were great in the beginning.

Ricky even bought a house in Malibu.

(upbeat jazz music)

I used to like to go out and watch

him do business overlooking the Pacific.

It just made me feel so good.

He just seemed to be so calm, and so centered.

He wasn't usually like that my brother,

he was on top of the world.

- Okay, I think I've had enough for one day.

- Okay.

- So,

for all the if you think of anything,

here's my card, you give me a call.

- Will do.

- Take this?

- Please.

- Thank you Mel.

- I'll see you out.

- Sure.

Okay.

Anna?

(children playing)

Anna?

♪ I hate to break it to ya

♪ But we had nothing in common

♪ No we were so

♪ Far off

♪ You liked top 40 radio

♪ And I had my Joni Mitchell

♪ And we were helpless

♪ From the start

♪ You wanted something more

♪ Than I could ever give

♪ You wanted to feel my kiss

♪ From my heart

♪ But I

♪ Only loved you 'cause you're gorgeous ♪

♪ Long, long, sleepless nights

♪ So unsatisfied

♪ I wanted a call, your money, or a diamond ring ♪

♪ I never asked for anything from you ♪

♪ Mm hmm

♪ I take honesty over jealousy any day ♪

♪ Something that you could never ♪

♪ Give to me

♪ Anyway

♪ I only loved you 'cause you're gorgeous ♪

♪ Said I only stayed because you're gorgeous ♪

♪ Gorgeous

♪ Everyone says I love you

♪ Everyone says I love you

♪ Everyone says I love you

♪ Everyone says I love you

(dramatic music)

(tires screeching)

- Ellen!

(dramatic music)

- Did you get a place to color?

- No, no, no!

No, no, no!

(sighs)

(groaning)

(sirens)

(talking on television)

- When you call us at 1-800-555-3434,

save on those adjustable home loan costs,

$150,000 loan, give us a call, at 1-800.

(upbeat music)

- Come on...

(knocking)

- I got to go.

(knocking)

I got to go.

- Wait a second!

Mr. Fuller, it's 9:00 am, I thought you

were gonna call first?

- I got some sticky buns.

Now's not a good time to talk?

- It's a terrific time.

Come on in, have a seat, you want some orange juice?

- No.

Thank you.

- That was Ricky's favorite toy.

- It works.

- As a kid, yeah, I don't know what happened to the tail.

- So,

who the hell is Cal Roman?

You know, Cal Roman.

- Oh, I'm sorry, he's Ricky's banker.

- Yeah and he's CC'd on every copy of correspondence

concerning this policy.

You know?

- Yeah.

- And?

- He's a loan shark Mr. Fuller,

he suckered Ricky in and played him like a fish.

- Really?

Well, why don't you tell me about it?

- Ricky once borrowed some money from

this guy Cal for some equipment,

then out of the blue this guy calls him one day, and says,

Ricky, how are you?

- Ricky, how are you long time no speak?

- I'm fine Cal, how are you?

- Good, really good, just taking it easy.

Nikki and I just got back from Europe.

Took a tour of the French Riviera.

- Oh, yeah, who's Nikki?

- A very special friend of mine.

Real smart cookie.

So, we stayed at this dynamite resort in Cannes.

And they treated us like we were fucking American royalty.

The way Nikki had them waiting on us hand and foot.

I don't know how she does it.

Me, I'm just a simple merchant banker

from Venice, California.

(laughs)

Thanks.

You're about out of this loan, if you want to make

another lease deal, you're pre-approved.

- Thanks Cal.

- Why don't we have lunch sometime?

My treat, be nice to attach a face to the name.

- Cal I would love that thanks.

- Thanks, I get the point.

- Do you?

- Yeah.

You're really very thorough, right down to the last detail.

- I think Cal Roman killed my brother, Mr. Fuller.

- What?

- Honey, honey, this is Mr. Fuller, he's with

the insurance company, Mr. Fuller, this is,

- Madeline.

- Madeline.

- Pleased to meet you.

(laughs)

- Don't spend it all in one place,

have a nice time shopping, bye.

- Okay Mel, go on.

- Cal Roman gets the insurance money.

- All of it?

- Yeah, but you won't find it in your files.

'Cause Cal paid for the policy, I was supposed

to collect it and give it to him.

That's the only way he could save the studio, he said.

- Sure but that doesn't prove

that Cal Roman killed your brother.

- I see.

- I mean every beneficiary, and key man

of an insurance policy was a murder suspect,

the police would be very, very busy.

You have any proof?

- No.

Not any proof.

I got a big mouth,

I got a big mouth, that's what I got.

It sometimes gets me into trouble.

♪ I forget how to breath

♪ Whenever you are near

♪ The ability to take a breath of air ♪

♪ Seems to disappear

♪ Can't remember my own name

♪ Seems I heard it just today

♪ Let's see is it Jeffrey, James or Joe ♪

♪ Doesn't matter anyway

♪ And I would love to tell you how I feel ♪

♪ But I can't recall how to speak ♪

♪ When I get near you

♪ I forget how to breath

- There's something about this case,

just doesn't make any sense.

- I thought you said it was a no brainer?

- No, that's what Bryson says.

- So?

- So, it's a key man life insurance policy

where you put up two million dollars on two guys,

and for anybody to make any money both these

two guys have to die.

You understand?

- Yeah, two guys, they both have to die,

two million dollars.

- Right.

And then voila, suddenly both of these guys

are killed in a car crash, doesn't that seem

a little suspect to you?

- Odd yes, so why aren't the cops in on it?

- Well that's what I'm saying, and the guy

who puts up the money just happens

to be a shyster loan shark.

The two guys he insures are a couple of wannabes.

And the guy telling me the story is a whack out brother.

Bryson doesn't want to investigate.

I mean this thing right off the top of anybody's head

looks like a double homicide, what am I crazy?

- Sure is a beautiful day.

Nice time to relax.

- I'm relaxed.

I'm relaxed.

- Good, then you can take me out to dinner and a movie.

- Well I would except for the fact that you have

to go to work tonight.

- I'm back to working days.

- You're back to days?

- Mm hmm.

- Well that's good, 'cause that was always

a little creepy, you working in the morgue at night.

- But you don't think it's creepy me working

in the morgue all day?

- No it's not even the same.

I mean you're such a great looking gal,

I mean you working on dead guys in a morgue

at night is kind of a waste.

- So do you think I should look more like Jack Kluggman?

- I think it would be less of a waste.

(laughs)

At least for me.

- Race me.

- I don't want to.

Come on.

♪ I forget how to breath

♪ Whenever you are near

♪ The ability to take a breath of air ♪

♪ Seems to disappear

- Yeah, hi, I'm John Fuller, I'm looking for a Cal Roman.

California National Life Insurance.

Sure.

Hi, this is John Fuller, I'm with California National

Life Insurance, I'm looking for Cal Roman.

I'm calling for Cal Roman, John Fuller,

California National Life Insurance.

Yeah,

California National Life Insurance.

Call back when, what?

If he doesn't talk to me then I can't pay him

the two million dollars that he's supposedly owed.

I can't.

Hi.

Hello?

Hello?

I got a funny feeling about this guy.

I'm just recommending that you stop payment

until I can at least talk to this Cal Roman.

- You don't talk to Cal Roman, you understand?

I just got off the phone with his lawyer.

He said you're harassing his client.

- He wouldn't talk to me.

He wouldn't come and meet with me.

- He said you tried to hold up payment.

- Yeah I said that because I wanted him to meet with me.

- Look, Cal Roman represents a lot of business here.

You finish that paperwork and be done with it,

I don't need anymore trouble!

- Mr. Bryson.

- Unless you have proof, let it go.

- Yes sir.

Roman wouldn't return any of my calls.

- Doesn't he have to?

- Why?

I'm not a cop, I don't have subpoena power.

- That figures, so what can you do?

- Well I can do some checking up on him.

I agree with you he is bad news.

There's no policy on your life, is there?

- No, not that I know of.

- Good, then you'll probably be safe.

- Probably?

- Well, you know, what do you want me to do?

You want me to check it out I'm gonna need your help.

(sighs)

- Two weeks after that phone call Cal and Ricky had lunch.

I'm guessing Cal figured Ricky liked fancy restaurants,

so they went to Montinero's.

He had his mark pegged.

- Good to see you Ricky.

Thanks for joining me.

- My pleasure Cal.

- My favorite restaurant.

Big celebrity hang out.

- Neither a borrower,

- Nor a lender be.

They say that prostitution's the oldest profession,

it's the second oldest, where did all those guys

get the money to get laid?

They borrowed it.

(laughs)

So, you and your friends are in the music business, huh?

I like that business.

Who'd thought there'd be so much money in it?

You know back in the old days, like everybody else,

I had dreams of being in the entertainment business.

Still, it seemed very glamorous.

And as you get older you wise up.

You make your money wherever you can.

I like you Ricky.

I trust you.

- Thanks Cal.

- Here's my special friend Nicoline.

Have a seat Nikki.

- Cal says you're in the music business.

- Yes, does that interest you?

- Cal says you're talented, that interests me.

- Well you should come over to

the studio some time and see us.

- I just might do that.

- So you see, Cal was tempting Ricky with money,

and softening him up with this babe Nicoline.

(thunder)

I'm late, I got to cover for somebody.

Got to get to work, can we finish this some other time?

- Sure.

- Why don't you take an umbrella?

- What about you?

- I'm covered, here don't open it inside,

it will bring you bad luck.

- So, how'd it go today.

- I just talked to this guy on my case.

- Oh.

- And no, I didn't have anything to drink.

And I may have even lost a few.

You want to smell my breath?

- Uh huh, that bad, you gonna keep it up?

- I don't know.

I mean, just that it's a rough time of year for me.

- That's right, it's been five years, huh?

- Yeah, you remember.

- Timmy needs a father.

- Yeah, go over there and she'd shoot me,

or call the police.

- So I'll drive you out there.

- Then she'll shoot you.

I'd take a bullet for you baby.

(laughs)

- You may have to.

♪ Going down

♪ I left my home when I was just a child ♪

♪ Found my peace on the scene

♪ Ain't it funny how I keep it all down inside ♪

♪ Let it out then the re-shine is to me ♪

♪ Life's taken slow

♪ I'm sliding down to the bottom ♪

♪ And I ain't too proud to say

♪ That I'm laughing

♪ Laughing while the ship goes down ♪

- There he is.

- He's a doll John.

- He's really grown, he looks good, doesn't he?

- Yeah, he looks great.

- He looks good.

We better go, I don't want her to see me.

- Why?

- Come on in her eyes I'm still a lousy drunk,

she'd probably have me arrested.

- Oh, please.

That's just in your head John, you don't know that.

(soft music)

- No, it's not a good idea.

What?

Paid off, fired?

What, why?

Dammit!

Yeah, Mary this is Fuller, is Bryson there?

Can I talk to him?

Well, yeah, it's important, you know.

Alright, great, I'll call later, thanks.

(dramatic music)

(glass breaking)

(dramatic music)

I'm off the case.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

- Johnny did I wake you?

- No, no I'm awake.

- That guy Roman you asked me about,

- Yeah?

- he's considered a big time hood here in Philly.

- Yeah, no I get ya, I hear ya.

- Murder suspect three times.

- That bad huh?

- Oh, he's that bad alright.

- Alright,

- Just watch yourself.

- thanks for calling.

- No problem.

- I owe you one.

- Yeah you do.

(knocking)

- Yeah?

Mel?

- I came back for my umbrella.

- Your umbrella?

Oh, yeah, yeah, here.

- Can I talk to you for a moment?

- Sure, come on in.

I don't think it's gonna do any good, I'm off the case.

- Should I come back some other time?

Like, your maid didn't show up today?

- We don't have a maid.

Come on sit down.

You know I think you're in some real danger.

- That's what I was trying to tell you,

I've been reading Ricky's diaries.

- So, tell me.

- Who's the kid?

- Huh?

- Who's this?

- That's my son.

- He's very cute.

- Thank you.

- Families are important, you know?

- Ricky had this thing about families,

and I was his brother.

But he always talked about Cal like he was his father.

Cal grew up in South Philly, his own father deserted

- My father deserted my family when I was about nine,

my mother, my aunt, my sisters, and I lived over

our grocery store in South Philly, a small place.

And like everybody else, we had to extend credit.

- But then if you didn't pay after awhile,

Cal was always there to collect.

- I collected every cent that they owed her.

With interest,

I learned a good lesson, you make people

pay their bills, they respect you for it.

- Yeah, I just got a call about this guy Cal, it's not good.

- I think Ricky was in over his head.

- Then they were never heard from again.

They were deadbeats anyway.

- He trusted Cal, and he trusted Lenny.

Then the first shoe dropped.

- Hey gang, I'm glad you could come.

Please, have a seat, we have to talk about a situation.

We're into Jackie for two months of payment.

That's 60 grand, according to our original deal,

he could move to take back the studio,

'cause we'd be in default.

- You told me we were making money.

- Yes,

yes, but we have sort of a

cash flow problem.

It's,

I'm 350 grand deep in receivables.

I made 100 grand yesterday.

- 350?

- So he says, if we don't do something now,

that's it, we lose the studio.

- Which brings us back to Cal Roman.

- Lenny wanted Ricky to go to Cal.

This was about,

June 14th.

Dinner at Montinero's, he's writing into the diary.

I got a veal scallopini, and a check for $100,000.

- Eat up guys, there's plenty more where that came from.

Here's to making money.

- So with a new supply of cash they were back in business.

But first they had to but an ISDN line in.

(upbeat music)

- ISDN, isn't that that new phone line thing?

- Oh yes, it's expensive, but it let's them record

people in other cities, like Ricky could be in LA,

and Lenny could be in New York.

- Got you loud and clear Lenny.

Okay, way to go team.

- It's amazing technology.

(upbeat music)

And it was the good times all over again.

Everybody's in fat city.

They're doing the planning, they're doing their partying,

and their drinking, and of course, the girls.

And all this time, Lenny kept saying everything's just fine.

(upbeat music)

And Lenny had a way of making those numbers work,

no matter what they actually said.

(upbeat music)

Cal joined in all very nice, all very sociable,

but you know Mr. Fuller,

he would have a habit of showing them

what a tough guy he was.

- Ricky said that he carried a gun?

- I saw it on him, he came into my store for medicine.

Ricky said I should fix him up, you know?

- You filled his prescriptions?

- Yes, nitroglycerin, for angina.

- Anything else?

- Cal always carries a cell phone, I mean I heard

conversations with Ricky on his cell phone.

He comes into my store and uses the pay phone.

- So you could hear?

- Like he wanted me to hear!

I hear Cal talking on the phone about this meeting

he's gonna have with his partners.

He went to get the okay on the money for the guys.

He was bragging about his timing, he said

the whole deal was done over a chess game.

- You're in for 100 G's, could go

as high as a half a mil, maybe more.

- Black queen takes the white knight, that's your end game.

- Do they know what they're doing?

- Does it make any difference?

- Not to us.

(laughing)

Alright Cal, give it to him.

After that.

- Check mate, that's what he said,

check mate.

And the thing was I told Ricky about the phone call,

and he says it doesn't matter as long as he gets the money.

Then Lenny starts going crazy, says he

wants to buy another studio, in New York!

- We can buy into the New York company in a heartbeat.

They did a million eight in sales last year.

- Isn't that risky?

- No, Cal says it's fine, we borrow against good paper,

and we use the rest of the money for expansion.

- But what if?

- There's nothing to worry about, their books are solid,

their clients are gold, we can't lose.

You want to suite at the Plaza?

Well, we're bi-coastal now baby.

Cal loves it, you'll love it too, trust me.

I got to go.

- He starts making speeches like some sort

of music industry guru.

- Media is the California gold rush for the next millennium.

And look at our client list,

two of the three major TV studios.

- He was always into some sort of scam,

he even tried to con the phone company.

- Favorite, powdered sugar.

- Hey, what's with the change of mobile phone numbers again?

I hate that.

- Well,

somebody called my car phone again ripped off the phone

company for another five grand.

(laughs)

I'll give you the number, fortunately

I still have friends with the phone company.

And speaking of friends, somebody saw you on a date.

Hmm?

- I'm gonna marry her.

- Okay,

congratulations.

- Thanks.

- So Sandy is gonna move $400,000

worth of network sound work to us in the next two months.

(chatter)

- So the studio's doing network business,

Ricky's putting some music, and Lenny's having

a big wedding, they were on a ride.

(chatter)

- Hey thanks for the gift pal, Ricky.

- Spend it in one place.

- I will, I will.

We are buying the digital sound systems I saw in Las Vegas.

State of the art, man.

- How are we financing that?

- I just signed another 350 thou note, so it's no biggie,

as long as Cal's still in the dance, which he is.

We'll bill the rooms out for $400 an hour,

we'll make it back in three and a half months.

- Just don't get us in too deep, okay?

- The big fish swim in the deep part.

- Yeah, success was contagious, I mean you know how it is.

And even that receptionist, that cute blond girl,

what the heck's her name?

Lola, even Lola got seduced by it all.

(soft music)

(upbeat jazz music)

All of that happened the day of the wedding,

it was all a great party.

- When was the wedding?

- Last summer sometime, June I think.

Jeez, I forgot all about this, look at that,

right after the wedding that's when all the trouble started.

- What's the matter?

- New York is crapping out big time.

They're sales are down 1/3.

Tim is off playing golf.

You think he could at least take some clients with him.

Donnie goes out on his boat, and doesn't

come in for two days!

And Cal's not going away either.

Okay, we're still into him for $750,000.

- Well I assume we have receivables?

- Out the wazoo.

Even with Cal's bank dipping into the profits.

I mean if we borrow the whole million,

the interest will be 200,000.

- Wait a second, what whole million?

- How do you think I'm funding this?

The equipment, New York, Cal and I have an understanding.

I'm not gonna borrow the whole mil,

but it's there if I need it.

- I told Ricky to pull out.

Come on Ricky these guys would kill to get

what they want, would you?

- I mean what do you think I am, some sort of gangster?

- That's exactly my point Richard.

You can go to a bank like normal people.

You've got a solid business with equipment, come on!

I'll introduce you to my own bank,

huh?

Ricky! Ricky!

- Bad Ricky didn't listen.

- Well he sorta listened.

But then he starts to get cut out of the business entirely.

- Well you never thought Ricky was any good with money

anyway, right?

- No.

But then he was kinda just pushed aside.

Ricky started complaining that Lenny wouldn't

even take his calls.

- Yeah, tell to call me,

- That really hurt.

- It's important.

(phone ringing)

- New cell phone?

- Yeah, it's Ricky.

- Ricky?

He can wait.

- Yeah, he can wait.

- I think Cal had already set in motion

a plan to kill him anyway.

- Anna, this is Mel, Mel, Anna.

I'm working on Mel's case, or I was working on it.

- I'm packing up a few things, I'm on a break.

I'll be out of here in a minute.

- What?

Wait, wait just a second, stay here.

- Listen, if this is a bad.

- Anna, Anna, Anna!

- Don't Anna me.

Don't anything me, you can go back

to your freaking beer bash, and leave me out of this.

- There's no beer bash out here, nobody's

drinking any beer, what are you talking about?

- I don't want to know, I don't care.

I do not care, where the hell is my blow dryer?

- Stay in touch, I need you to believe me.

- I don't have to believe anything you say,

I've been hanging around here for two years with you.

- What are you talking about believe me?

I didn't say believe me, Mel said believe me.

- Oh, oh, so what is this now?

Are you on a buddy system John?

Is that it, so what am I doing here?

I don't want to be your nurse maid.

I don't want to clean up after you.

Oh, God.

You know what this is your life.

- Yeah, this is our life, what are you doing?

- Well you know what?

- What are you doing.

- Not that it means anything to you anymore.

You totally lose it when you start drinking.

- That bottle of beer that you saw me with,

I was throwing that bottle away, alright?

- The place smells like a freaking bar!

What do I look stupid?

- No, you don't look stupid, you look beautiful.

Look, look, I haven't had a drink for two days.

I haven't had a drink for two days, almost.

Look at my hands, look at my hands.

Look at my hands!

Hold them, hold my hands.

Okay?

- I'm not happy.

- Well I'm sorry.

(knocking)

Yeah?

- It's me, Mel.

I'm sorry I forgot my umbrella.

- Sure.

- Jeez John, I'm in the middle of leaving you here,

you stop to give this guy an umbrella?

Doesn't it register to you what's important?

Doesn't he know you were fired from the case?

That you were fired before because you couldn't

nail the drunken driver?

- Drunk driver killed my daughter!

Alright, I was a cop, I went after him,

it took two years out of my life, I lost my family,

I lost the,

I don't want to yell.

I do not want to yell about this.

I lost everything.

Til I found you.

You stood by me, you're my friend,

and I love you, I don't want to lose you.

I don't, I love you.

And besides, you love me, you can't stop talking about me.

You just,

you love me too, right?

Right?

(soft music)

Well you're gonna have to find something

that proves that it's true, otherwise it's just hearsay.

- I don't need any proof, I just know it.

- Oh, you just know it.

That'll do it.

- Well it does for me.

You want proof,

take a look at this, Ricky's diary, huh?

September 22, see Lenny about refinancing.

- Refinancing, that ought to do it,

that should incriminate about

75% of the American population.

- Just wait a second, will ya?

Just listen.

- We take the million dollars you've run up in debt

and refinance it, spread out the payments,

and we're gonna have to give him a piece of the company.

- Okay.

You think Cal will go for it?

- Ricky Wiener, and Lenny Minnow,

this is Saul Blackmon, my attorney.

Arthur Stricter, one of our investors,

and of course you know Nikki.

- I'd like to present a plan that I think

is gonna turn things around for the studio,

and clean up the debt.

And we're prepared to offer you a piece of the company too.

- Good, now sit down and shut up, or I'll personally

throw you out on your ass.

Go ahead Nikki.

- Thanks Cal, right now the studio owes Cal a million.

So, we're going to form a new holding company

with Cal in charge, Lenny is gonna sell this new company

a 30% interest in the studio, a controlling 30%,

in exchange for the outstanding debt.

- So the holding company gets all the assets?

- Yes.

- But what about Lenny's limited partners?

- Well let's put it this way,

you going from being limited partners, to being

very limited partners.

Especially you Ricky.

- Meanwhile, you get to keep your paycheck,

and you can still run the show.

Or we can simply foreclose on the studio now,

and none of you get anything, ever.

- Yeah, the question is are they healthy enough?

- Yeah, what about insurance?

- We'll be wanting you both, since you're both

in day to day management duties to get a physical.

- What?

- Sure the loss of either of you would be a crippling blow.

Believe me, I know.

(rock music)

- I don't get it, Lenny must've signed something,

they're basically foreclosing.

- On the studio?

- Rick, my mom and I invested everything we had into this.

And in case you haven't noticed I was the one

that kept this place together technically,

while you were out doing whatever

the hell it was you were doing!

Jesus Rick, I wasn't just along for the ride here.

- I think the ride's over.

(rock music)

- You know, I still haven't forgotten, who owes who.

Here I want you to have this,

maybe it will bring you more luck than it's brought me.

- No.

- You have to.

Let's say this is still our studio,

I'm not letting go without a fight.

We're still partners, right?

- Of course man.

- What about physicals?

- That's when they said I should take out the key man policy

and sign the proceeds to them.

- Yeah, why didn't they do it themselves?

- They're not what you would consider regular businessman.

They didn't want to be investigated

by insurance companies like you.

- And they don't want anybody investigating

suspicious car accidents.

- Exactly.

- What else?

- What about the gal Nicoline, huh?

She said Ricky, you better get out.

- Hello, Mr. Wiener.

- How could you do that?

- It was all perfectly legal, you must know that.

It's just business.

Just walk away Ricky.

- What so you think that this is her,

warning your brother that they're gonna kill him?

- Seems pretty clear to me.

- Pretty clear to you?

- Remember who we're dealing with here, huh!

(excited chatter)

- I think we got a problem.

- Oh, you think so, huh?

We got a system, if he plays by the rules, fine.

If not, we got insurance.

- We did right, we got insurance.

- Sure we got our paisan,

got our long standing relationships.

Besides an obligation, is an obligation.

- Is an obligation, these guys meant business.

- What else, anything else?

- Right after that, Ricky's house burned down.

And they insisted that the insurance

from the fire pay down his debt to Cal.

Doesn't that tell you something?

- Was it arson?

- Well, they never found any proof.

(dramatic music)

He was devastated, I mean this was everything he owned.

Everything he worked for.

And this was all because of Lenny's colossal screw up.

He knew the only way he could get out of this mess

was to patch things up between Cal and Lenny.

(dramatic music)

- Come in.

I don't know what you know, or what you think you know,

but I got a pretty good idea, why you're here.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat this, I'm old, and I don't have to.

Plus my field, my rules, I don't want to hear what

you got to say, but you listen to me now.

Young man like you and yours, are a dime a dozen.

And I've been around long enough to remember when

that expression actually meant something.

See I have old friends in New York.

My paisan.

Your friend is not the only one

who couldn't make his payments.

And this we know because my walls are full of their arc.

My garages are full of their cars.

My weigh houses are full of their worldly possessions.

'Cause an obligation is an obligation.

You are never gonna see your money back from that studio.

That's it!

So shut up and take whatever benefits you can

from the associations you still have.

'Cause you didn't come here to save your friend.

You came here to protect your investment.

So you're no hero.

I'll tell you what you are, you're a loser,

and you lost again.

Interview's over, now get out.

- What about Lenny, what about your friend Lenny,

what's he doing during all of this?

- Lenny!

My friend Lenny, huh?

I understand he wanted to kill himself.

- What?

- I thought I'd help buy the arsenic,

and for once Cal agreed with me.

- So if he screws up anymore, he's not the only one

who's going down, you understand?

He's your partner, he's the only one who can do

what has to be done to get you your 50 grand back.

So you have to set him straight, you understand?

It's all you now, you!

- I messed up man okay, I thought I could pull it off,

you could see that, right?

Get New York to work.

I could've pulled it off, if the money had come in faster,

I could've turned New York!

- You lied to all those people.

- They were on borrowed time, they deserved it.

- Is that you talking, or Cal?

- What do you want, huh, a public announcement

that I'm a partner in a bankruptcy fraud?

That I lied an perjured myself for monetary gain?

I do that we lose everything!

- No, no, listen, maybe not.

Maybe we can go to a bank, we get a line.

- No, no.

- Why?

- That's not going to work.

Because I went bankrupt once before on this.

- What is that?

- What, maybe I should just take myself out, huh?

Make it easier for everybody else, is that it?

What, you still carry a gun?

- Shut up Lenny, get out of here.

- Come on, hey.

It's not like you don't blame me, just like all the rest.

(dramatic music)

Come on, give me the goddamn gun.

Come on give me the goddamn gun, give it to me!

Alright tough guy, huh, is this what you want?

Is this what you want goddammit?

(gunshot)

(dramatic music)

- Wait a minute you don't think that maybe,

you know the two of them,

- What that he could've killed himself?

- Why not?

- And my brother?

- Yeah.

- You still don't believe Cal is the murderer do ya?

- I didn't say that.

- No, no, yeah, please, please, proof.

Lenny goes to Vegas to see Cal.

- Oh, Christ, is this another one of your.

- Just listen, just listen, just listen.

Lenny had a condo in Vegas.

But that night he went there for Jackie James.

You know, the guy who originally owned the studio.

(fast paced music)

(moaning)

(dramatic music)

(gun shot)

And Ricky got this call to come to the condo,

they couldn't reach Lenny.

(chatter)

Ricky was really shaken, he knew what

this was supposed to mean.

- Okay so you think that Cal was after Lenny.

- It seems obvious to me, yeah.

- Alright, so where was Lenny?

- Lenny is shacked up with a bimbo at the Horseshoe.

- And where's your brother?

- You mean after he went to the condo?

He came back to be at Jackie's funeral.

He was very torn up Mr. Fuller.

He liked Jackie, he was a friend.

A regular guy, killed like in some gangster movie.

(dramatic music)

- And may he hear the prayers and supplications on our lips.

May the words in our hears find him, and speed his son

onward to the world of souls.

And may his sovereignty reign forever and ever, amen.

- He said Cal was there, and frankly, he felt threatened.

He was scared Mr. Fuller.

- That still doesn't prove anything.

- I don't believe this!

You still don't believe Cal was the murderer,

I mean Lenny's apartment, a guy dies.

- I didn't say that.

- You think this goes, I think I'll die.

- I'm not saying that.

- And this guys a total coincidence?

- I didn't say I don't believe it.

- It's a total coincidence?

I didn't say I did not believe it!

I didn't say that!

- Goddammit!

Can I finish please?

Can I finish?

Ricky flies up to Vegas, and drives back with Lenny.

He calls me from Vegas and tells me they're getting out.

- 'Bout time man.

I think you're doing the right thing.

- And then he tells me he thinks he sees Cal.

Thinks he's been followed, all the way from LA.

Hello?

(dramatic music)

I didn't hear from him again until he called

and said that he and Lenny traveled for hours

with hardly a word.

He wanted me to tell mom he loved her,

and asked me to take care of her.

(dramatic music)

So what does that tell you Mr. Fuller?

That maybe he could see his own end coming?

It certainly seems pretty clear to me.

He even said they spent most of their time

watching their tail.

(tires screeching)

I think when Cal realized his goons got the wrong guy,

he flew to Vegas and figured out a way to make

the real thing look like a car accident.

- That's not enough.

- Well, that's all I got.

- Cathy Allison, she's in the records department.

This is John Fuller, look I called to ask you a favor,

if you could check something out for me?

If you have the time.

Yeah, it's a guy I'm trying to close a file out on,

his name is Cal Roman.

C-A-L R-O-M-A-N.

- You didn't need to do this John.

- I think Cal Roman murdered those two guys.

- Jeez you don't give up do you?

- He had motive, he had opportunity,

he's got a track record.

- Really?

You have witnesses, you got a weapon?

Confession, fingerprints, do you have anything?

- I've got a list of five policies bought

and paid for by Cal Roman.

Never up front, always indirect, he's putting money up.

Three of the five beneficiaries on

these policies are already dead.

And what's worse, I'm given the investigation

of these cases, through you.

And the name Cal Roman, I've never seen it before.

Made no connection.

- Or maybe you weren't sober long enough to notice?

- Maybe that's why I was given the cases.

- Oh, come on.

- Yeah, pretty smart Bryson, maybe you're in on it.

10-15% cut, what?

- I process claims, I'm not a cop.

Nobody has ever come to me with proof of anything.

- I'm gonna nail him.

I'm gonna nail him, and if I have to,

I'll nail you.

- Him, you gonna nail him?

Roman, he's dead.

You didn't hear this?

He had a heart attack last night, he's dead Fuller.

Get over it!

Get out of here, I don't want to see you in here again,

you understand?

Get out.

- I had him man I just needed more time.

- You cracked the case, you're back in form.

Move on.

- No, no it's not that, it's now I'm a nut.

It's back to being mister, you know, drunk.

Or a bum.

You know what I need?

I need an autopsy.

- Really?

I was just thinking your color looks so good.

(laughs)

- No, there's an insurance report on Roman, right?

- Yeah.

- I can get it, you can help me with it.

- I suppose, why?

- I need it.

- It'll cost ya.

- Cost me what?

- A little better than this.

- Nah, that's too great a price to pay.

- Oh, then forget it.

- Come on.

Okay.

- Finding some nitroglycerin in the heart stream.

- Section B, line 12.

- DH7.

- Mm hmm.

Dehydromethyl 7.

- And what is that?

- He was having sex problems.

- You're kidding.

- Uh uh.

- Mr. Fuller.

- How are you?

- What do you want?

- Well, Cal Roman is dead.

- Yeah so I heard.

- Information, his name is on five different policies,

three of those five policy holders, are dead as well.

- So he killed others besides just my brother, huh?

- Apparently so.

(laughs)

- Oh, that son of a bitch.

Come on in.

- Thank you.

So there's probably gonna be an investigation

and whoever's connected with this

will be brought to justice.

- Mr. Fuller I mean it, I want to thank you.

- You're welcome.

But Mel, you don't mind if I ask you

just a few more questions?

- Why, what else is there?

- Well, you told me once, if you remember

that you used to fill Cal Roman's prescriptions exclusively,

is that right?

- Yeah, I value my life.

I didn't want there to be any mistakes, you know?

- I looked into Cal Roman's autopsy.

- So?

- They found traces of a chemical,

a chemical called dihydromethyl 7.

- You testing me?

I passed the pharmacy exam years ago,

you want to see my degree?

I have all of that.

- Well it's a chemical compound usually found

in male potency drugs.

- Okay, if you say so.

- And if this compound found itself into somebody's

usual heart medication, it could cause cardiac arrest.

- So what's your point?

- Did Cal Roman ask you for a male potency drug?

- Mr. Fuller, I'm a pharmacist.

I fill out 1,000 prescriptions a day.

- Wait a minute, didn't you just say that you

filled his prescriptions exclusively,

for fear of losing your own life?

- Where are you going with this?

You think I gave him a potency drug so he'd what?

Screw himself to death?

That's your idea of humor?

- No, I think that you mixed traces

of this chemical compound with his usual

doses of nitroglycerin, and you caused him

to have a massive coronary attack.

I think that you killed Cal Roman, believing

that he killed your brother.

- Fine, everybody's entitled to an opinion,

I guess that's yours, huh?

- Mm hmm, mm hmm.

What about this?

- I don't know, what's this?

A vial, what?

- Yeah, it's a vial, a vial I had analyzed.

And in it I found traces of this compound

mixed with nitroglycerin.

- Okay look, I've had it, I've got to get out of here.

Come on.

- It's got your fingerprints on it.

And Cal Roman's exclusively.

- Maybe a doctor prescribed it.

- No doctor in his right mind would prescribe

this medication for a man with a heart condition.

You prescribed it Mel.

You prescribed it, you filled it, and you killed Cal Roman.

Believing that he killed your brother.

- You ever lose anybody close to you?

Like a relative, or a family member in an accident?

- As a matter of fact I have.

- Then you'll know the strangest thing,

in addition to everything else you feel,

are those memories, where do they come from, huh?

You know what I remember about Ricky?

Banana splits, this kid comes home he's seven years old,

and all of his friends had had a banana split.

He says to me, hey Mel, what's

so great about a banana split?

You take a banana you split it.

(laughs)

Why is that a great dessert?

So I buy my baby brother his first banana split.

Three scoops of ice cream, pineapple, strawberries,

hot fudge, whip cream, and a cherry on top.

And he eats the whole thing.

He gobbles it down.

He's got this smile on his face, there's whip cream

and hot fudge all over it, and he says

thanks Mel, now I know what a banana split is.

And you know what?

That night you know what happens?

He throws up, all over the house.

And he just goes, but he knew what a banana split was.

And he knew that his big brother bought it for him.

He wanted to be a big shot, that's all.

He wouldn't harm a fly, and for that he gets killed.

For no reason what so ever, and I'm sorry,

it's not fair.

And I don't think a guy should get killed for that, do you?

- You made a mistake Mel.

- What?

- You made a mistake.

Cal Roman didn't kill your brother.

A little more investigating turned up an eye witness.

Herman Brown, farmer outside of Barstow didn't want

the trouble so he didn't report it,

then he got scared,

and filed a police report, we found it.

Barstow two guys in a car, Interstate 26.

90 miles an hour, swerved to miss an animal,

went into a ravine, car burst into flames.

You want to read the report?

- I'm not really interested, okay?

- Officer, were there any other vehicles involved?

Brown, no, sir.

There was nothing else on the road,

hardly ever is that time of day.

Cal Roman didn't kill your brother Mel.

As good or as bad as he was, he didn't kill your brother.

- What about the others?

What about the others?

- Well as bad as it looks, and it does look bad,

it was purely circumstantial.

- I got to call this in.

I'm sorry.

- Well, it has nothing to do with me.

- Detective Beckner, John Fuller here.

Oh, hi, no it's been a long time.

Yeah, I'm calling something in.

So Bryson is indicted on two counts.

- Yeah, yeah you told me John.

So there they are.

- I don't know what I'm gonna say to her.

- You will think of something.

- Him, I haven't seen him in a year.

- Kids have a different sense of time.

- All I thought about was killing the guy

that ran my daughter over.

- Yeah, and you didn't.

- Yeah, but I wanted to.

I was obsessed, just like this guy Mel.

I could've done what he did.

- Focus, Timmy's here, he's waiting to see you.

- You're right, and when you're right, you're really right.

I'm gonna go play.

Timmy.

Timmy!

(soft music)

♪ I hate to break it to ya

♪ But we had nothing in common

♪ No, we were so

♪ Far apart

♪ You liked top 40 radio

♪ And I had my Joni Mitchell

♪ And we were helpless from the start ♪

♪ You wanted something more

♪ Than I could ever give

♪ You wanted to feel my kiss

♪ From my heart

♪ But I only loved you 'cause you're gorgeous ♪

♪ Last night you came to me

♪ In a dream I've got my therapy ♪

♪ And forbid you from my memory ♪

♪ I must roll on, roll on

♪ Everyone says I love you

♪ Everyone says I need you

♪ Everyone says he doesn't marry me ♪

♪ So casually you see

♪ I love you

♪ But I only love you

♪ 'Cause you're gorgeous

♪ Said I only stay

♪ Because you're gorgeous

♪ Gorgeous

♪ Stay

(soft music)